Do Democrats Fear Power?
A common critique of the political left is that it is great in opposition but falls apart when in a position to govern. The usual stereotype involves an executive buffeted by various left constituencies, whose internecine warfare paralyzes government and paves the way for a conservative backlash. Until recent weeks, I never saw Barack Obama or his administration as being unable to exercise strong leadership. But the Presidents handling of health care is dramatically different from the governing approach of Roosevelt or Lyndon Johnson, the two presidents with whom he is often compared. These Presidents had an agenda, and moved heaven and earth to enact it. It would have been inconceivable for Roosevelt to insist on Republican support for the New Deal, or for Johnson to subject the War on Poverty to Republican veto. Obamas desire to find a common ground was part of his attraction. This is not what most progressives find troubling. Rather, it is Obamas reluctance to use the vast powers of
